Traditional mechanical device controls include switches, knobs, levels, sliders, faders, and the like. In the past, such controls have been essentially mechanical in nature, e.g., a knob turning a shaft coupled to a potentiometer to control an electrical input to a device such as a radio or audio amplifier, a knob turning a shaft coupled to a fan control or heating/air conditioning control in an automobile, or a lever controlling the opening and closing of a vent in an automobile.
With many traditionally mechanical functions being replaced by electronics, operation of electronic controls has been made less intuitive to users. For example, without click-stops or “detents,” or otherwise a sense of mechanical resistance, it may be difficult to obtain a similar experience from an electronic substitute for a traditional mechanical control device or even effectively and efficiently operate such a device. A detent, such as a mechanical detent, can refer to the resistance of rotation of a wheel or shaft. A detent can be used to divide a rotation into discrete increments, or may be used to arrest rotation in a direction. For instance, a mechanical detent can be constructed from a notched wheel and a small gravity or spring-actuated lever.